The Portland daily press., 1887-02-23
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

The Emancipation of Massachusetts,. BY
Brooks Adams. Once on time we listened
to an eloquent defence of the Puritans from
the lips of John Quincy Adams. 1t was a
public-spirited, and historical address before
the Massachusetts Historical Society, if we
remember the occasion rightly. But what
ever the occasion or the assembly, we can
never forget the ardor and ability with which
1.-THE old men eloquent" defended the Puri-
tans against all their detractors. Dissenters,
deserters and disturbers of their peace, he
painted as disputatious, and from Roger
Williams down. as conscientiously conten-
tious, well meaning, but misguided men.
His contention for our Puritan ancestors
was, that they were an elect people, a noble
ancestry, whose faults were few, and whose
virtues imperishable.
soon after, John Quincy Adams saw the
last OF earth, his son, Charles Francis, has al
SO departed, but the family is not yet extinct.
nor likely to become so. The existing gem
Grafton is more numerous than any former
one, and retains the family traits of yigor.
independence, and pugnacity A few wears
since, Charles Francis, Jr., astonished the
learned world by his vigorous assault on
classical studies. And now Mr.. Brooks
Adams makes the well1in ring with az fero-
cious attack on the Puritans whom his grand
father extolled. To John Quincy, these Pu-
rltans seemed especially endowed by Heaven
for their great work.
10 Brooks, the grandson, they appear to
have been selfish cruel and bigoted beyond
the prosecutors of ancient or modern times
The judgment he pronounces on them is
equalled in severity only by his denunciation
OF the Jewish priesthood with whom he
compares them, and from whom, he declares.
they imbibed their spirit and ecclesiastical
policy. From Governor Winthrop and Endi-
colt, John Cotton and the two Mathers. down
70 the Samuel Adams ofRevolutionary fame,
ne soundly berates them all, while he as per
sistently defends and eulogizes the An
tnomlans, Quakers, Baptists, Episcopalians.
and all others who dared defy the Puritan
Commonwealth
In view OF this tremendous arraignment
OF the Puritans, we ask ourselves which snr-
yey of them is the more correct and trust
worthy: John Quincy Adams was no fool
and he probably had more intimate knowl-
edge OF the subject than his grandson. When
he delivered his eulogy, he was an old man
OF ripe scholarship and wide experience of
men and affairs. Like Ulysses he had seen
many men, cities and countries. Yet his
heart untravelled, turned with affection and
reverence to the founders OF New England.
Brooks is young, fiery, and fully convinced
that both the Jewish and Puritan leaders
aimed to enslaye their followers. The priests
OF Baal we've the liberals of one age. the
Quakers and come-outers of the other. All
the labored defences and professions of the
Puritans were insincere and PROMPTED nv
sell interest But the narratives of the |
Quakers are all accepted as perfeety relia- |
Bile. Evidently this is the tone. not CT a his
torian. but of an advocate who accepts any
view, story, or interpretation, with which
ne can dish" the hated Puritans. And /
doubtless they had faults enough. They
we're men Of %blood and iron" like Bis
narck, and like him they were called to exc
cute hard task. What we know is, that
both they and the Jews founded the two
most successful politics in history, politics
TO which we are Indebted more than to any
and all others. 1t is true that they were not
wise beyond their times in all things. They
had their limitations and the defects of thair I
qualities, all men have had both before and /
since. Brooks Adams is probably &c, excep-
ion to this rule, although he hiss, advanced
20 far as to eliminate the soul fTom man. and |
to classify him with the lower |
referring all his peculiarities and |
progress to his NERVE centres" physical or
and 'environments," he has
cad Buckle, but even Buckle didn't know /
John Quincy never read Buckle.
nd he couldn't see through the Puritans.
'oor old man. (New York: Houghton, Milf
in e. Co.; Portland: Loring Short & Har- 1
lon.)
The Story of the Normans. BY Sarah
ne Jewett. Having achieved success as a |
ritter Of sea side stories, Miss Jewett now
ppears in the more ambitious role Of histo-
ans. However, in her pages the history Of
he Normans assumes the familiar form of /
ory which is told in very pleasant man
or. Strictly speaking, it is not history of
he Normaps. That were a claim all too
asst. All that the authoress attempts is a
snerai and popular version of the excur-
ons OF the Mortimer into the principal
orts OF Europe, from which they bore |
way many splendid trophies. Thousands /
theSe Northmen came into England. |
rance, Spain and Italy, not to steal. Int to
ay' IA iact their staying quality proved
'e pest Oh all, hrSt for themselves. and
len Tor the peoples among whom thew se-
lred Judgement. The foremost of thaee |